Golf game practicing machine

ABSTRACT

A golf game practicing machine for use indoors or outdoors comprising a control center for automatically determining the allowed number of plays and controling an automatic tee-up means for singly positioning a golf ball upon a tee. When the golf ball is removed from the tee by striking or other means, the flight of the golf ball is arrested by a golf ball receiving means positioned orthogonal to the direction of flight of the ball from the tee means. The player stands on a support means positioned adjacent to the tee on a turf-like playing surface. The disclosure also illustrates two modes of operation, namely where the player supplies two golf balls which are returned after play or where two golf balls are retained by the machine.

United States Patent 1 Land Sept. 4, 1973 [54] GOLF GAME PRACTICING MACHINE Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham [76] Inventor: Dick n. Land, 24020 Sherman, Oak Assisi! Brow" Park, Mich, Att0rneyRussel C. Wells [22] Filed: Mar. 26, 1971 57 A TRA [2]] Appl. No.: 128,471 1 BS CT A golf game practicing machine for use indoors or outdoors comprising a control center for automatically de- Z 8'' 273/182 273/ I81 1 24 85 termining the allowed number of plays and controling E 273/201 an automatic tee-up means for singly positioning a golf 0 can ball upon a tee. When the golf ball is removed from the tee by striking or other means, the flight of the golf ball [56] References is arrested by agolf ball receiving means positioned or- UNITED STATES PATENTS thogonal to the direction of flight of the ball from the 2,789,824 4/1957 Willcox 273/201 tee means. The player stands on a support means posi- 2,331,237 1943 schaefer 273/20] X tioned adjacent to the we on a turf-like playing surface.

The disclosure also illustrates two modes of operation, namely where the player supplies two golf balls which 2,609,199 9/1952 Koener 273/201 X are returned after p y or where two g balls are tained by the machine.

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GOLF GAME PRACTICING MACHINE SUMMARY OF INVENTION There is disclosed and claimed herein a golf driving practicing machine comprising a raised rectangular, horizontal support member. A player's platform having a turf-like covering thereon upon which a player positions himself when addressing a golf ball is positioned on a portion of the support member. A golf ball receiving net is positioned along one periphery of said support means and opposite said players platform. The net extends in a vertical plane substantially orthogonal to said support means and functions to arrest the flight of the driven golf ball. A golf ball tee extends out of said player's platform for supporting a golf ball thereon in position to be addressed by the player. The tee is displaceable between a first position supporting a golf ball and a second position indicating the absence of a golf ball. A pivotally supported golf ball tee-up arm is operatively responsive to the second position of the golf ball tee for positioning a golf ball on said tee from a golf ball storage area. A counter responsive to a coin receiving means determines and controls the number of plays or operations of the golf ball tee-up arm. A control center responsive to said counter means and is operable to receive from a player two golf balls and is responsive to the penultimate and ultimate count of said counter means for returning said golf balls to the player at each count.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a isometric view of the golf ball practicing machine;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view with parts removed of the control center of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 3 illustrating the ball stop mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a top elevation view with the cover removed of the control center of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the ball return tubes in the control center of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the ball feed and ball feed mechanisms within the control center of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a partial elevation view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an electrical schematic view illustrating the relationship of the two control switches in the motor of the machine of FIG. I; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the coin receiving means taken in the direction of line 10-10 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the FIGS. by the characters of reference, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 the preferred embodiment of the golf practicing machine. The golf machine comprises a raised support means 10 for supporting a player when he addresses a golf ball 12. The golf ball 12 is supported upon a tee means 14 which extends through the upper surface 16 of the support means. The golf ball is singly positioned upon the tee means 14 by a tee-up means 18 extending outwardly from a control center 20. Positioned along one side of said support means is a receiver means 22 for receiving a golf ball 12 when it is driven from the tee means 14 such as by the swing of a golf club 24 by a player.

The support means 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, supports the control means 20 and the receiver means 22 making the unit a single unitary unit. Positioned adjacent to the tee means 14 and on the support means is a turf-like playing surface 26 upon which the player of the golf practicing machine stands. The turf-like surface 26 provides a realistic and secure surface to the player when he strikes the ball 12.

The golf practice machine is powered by an electric motor 28 connected either directly or as illustrated to a plurality of belts and pulleys to operate the several mechanisms within the control unit 20.

Initiation of the operation of the golf practicing machine takes place when the player deposits one of a plurality of coins in the coin receiving means 30. In FIG. 10 there is illustrated a plan view of a coin receiving means 30 for receiving three different size coins. The coin receiving means comprises three adjacent slides or tracks 32-34, the width of each track is determined by the coin to be accepted thereby. Positioned adjacent the upper end of the coin receiving means and in each of the tracks 32-34 is an aperture 36-38 having a diameter slightly less than the width of the track. For instance, if track 32 is a track for receiving a 50 cent coin, the diameter of the aperture 36 is such thatit will not accept a 50 cent coin but will collect all other coins below that size. In a similar manner, the apertures 38 and 40 in the other tracks 33 and 34 would operate as bogus coin collectors, for their respective tracks. When the proper coin is placed at the beginning of one of the tracks, it slides downward along the track to the end of the track where the coin is positioned vertically with respect to the control center 20. When the coin is in the vertical position, the player grasps the handle 42 which, through linkage 43-45, positions a counter slide setting mechanism 46. 1

The counter slide setting mechanism 46, in the pre-' ferred embodiment, comprises three rods 48-50 that move in a horizontal direction under the control of the handle 42 and its corresponding linkages 43-45. The length of the rods 48-50 determines the setting of the counter slide 52 which, in turn, positions the count indicator wheel 54. The counter slide 52 is operatively connected to the setting mechanism 46 and is positioned'according to the length of one of the rods48-50 interferring with a coin in the coin receiving area 56-58. By way of illustration if a coin was placed in track 32, which in the'preferred embodiment, accepts a fifty cent coin, the coin would slide down track 32 until it was placed vertically in the coin receiving area 58. When the handle 42 is pulled upward, the counter setting mechanism 46 moves in a horizontal direction until the rod 50 contacted the coin in the receiving area 58. Since in the preferred embodiment this is the largest coin to be received, the number of plays would probably be the greatest; therefore, the counter setting slide will be moved the greatest distance. When the rod 50 contacts the coin in the receiving area 58, this effectively operatively connects the counter setting slide with the mechanism 46 moving the counter setting slide to the left as referred to in FIG. 3 and 5. As the slide the handle 42 is returned to the retracted position and the predetermined number of plays remains in the machine.

It is thus seen that the combination of a coin in its proper coin receiving area 56-58 and one of the counter setting rods 48-50 loads or sets a predetermined count into the golf practicing machine. As shown in FIG. 5, if there are no coins in the coin receiving areas 56-58, the rods 48-50, if moved to the left, will merely pass through the clearance holes 59 at the end of the receiving areas. This will not cause the counter slide 52 to be moved to the left and the machine will not be activated.

Operatively connected to the counter setting slide 52 is a cut-off switch 61 for providing a signal which will be combined with other signals as will hereinafter be discussed for operating the machine. If the switch 61 is open, indicating that the total number of plays have been used up, or that no plays have been entered into the machine, the open switch 61 will prevent operation of the machine.

In the preferred embodiment, the counter indicating wheel 54 has a plurality of teeth positioned thereon which mesh with the holes or slots in the wheel positioning beam 60. Thus, as the beam moves in a horizontal direction, its engagement with the counter indicator wheel 54 causes that wheel to rotate and thereby indicating to the player-the total number of plays or shots left in the golfpracticing machine. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the wheel has 25 teeth spaced around its periphery indicating the maximum number of plays as being 25. However, any number of plays may be provided by adjusting the length of the rods 48-50 as heretofore indicated.

In the preferred embodiment of the golf practicing machine, the player supplies two of his own golf balls in order to operate or play the machine. These two golf balls are initially placed into the ball feed receiving tube 62 positioned along one side of the control center 20. The two balls, received in the ball feed receiving tube 62, travel along a plurality of tubes 64 and 66 to the ball feed station 68. The leading golf ball is arrested by the ball stop 70 positioned adjacent one end of the tee-up means 18 until released by the machine. 7

In the normal at rest position of the golf practice machine, one end 72 of the tee-up means 18 is in a first position which is elevated above the other end 74. The one end 72 functions to position the golf ball 12 on the tee means 14 when the tee-up means 18 is in its second position as illustrated in FIG. 2. The other end 74 is positioned adjacent the ball stop 70 when the tee-up means 18 is in a first position as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 2. When the tee-up means 18 is in its first position, the ball stop 70 is pivoted as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4 so as to allow a golf ball to be positioned in the tee-up means. The ball stop 70 is pivoted under control of the linkage 76 that is secured to the tee-up means and is responsive to the movement of the tee-up means. When the tee-up means is in its second position, the linkage 76 is as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4 and the ball stop 70 is positioned to retain or to prevent a ball from going into the area of the tee-up means. A counterweight 78 functions to hold the ball stop 70 in its normal position. When the tee-up means 18 is positioned in its first position, the linkage 76 is moved in a downward position causing the ball stop 70 to be pivoted about the pivot 77 out of the way of the ball. This is illustrated in the phantom lines of FIG. 4.

When the tee-up means is in its second position as illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the other end 74 is elevated above the one end 72, golf ball 12 rolls down along the tube and is positioned directly on the tee means 14.

The tee means 14 is supported at one end of a class A lever having its fulcrum 82 positioned near the tee means. The opposite end of the lever 82 is positioned within the control center 20 to operate the switch 84. The switch 84 functions to generate a signal indicating that there is a golf ball positioned on the tee means 14 and thereby functions to control the operation of a teeup means 18. A latching mechanism 86 comprising an arm 88 and a latching member 90, which is rotatively connected thereto, functions to maintain the switch in an actuated position when the tee-up means is away from its first position. This insures that when the tee-up means is pivoted from its first to its second position, the motor is not disconnected when the golf ball 12 is placed on the tee means 14 and the tee-up means is returned under power to its first position. When the teeup means is pivoted from its first to its second position, the latching member 90 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction pulling the latching arm 88 downward holding the lever 80 in operative contact with the switch 84. The lever 80 is normally in the actuated position for the switch 84 inasmuch as there is no golf ball positioned on the tee means 14. When the tee-up means 18 is pivotally at its second position, the weight of the golf ball 12 on the tee means 14 attempts to pivot the lever 80 about the fulcrum 82 in a counterclockwise direction. However, this pivoting is restrained by the latching mechanism 86 to maintain the switch 84 in an actuated or closed position.

The tee-up means 18 comprises an elongated tube or track upon which a golf ball is guided from the other end 74 to the one end 72. The tee-up means, as previously indicated is normally positionedin a first position within the control center 20. In this position the tee-up means is in a vertical position with the one end 72 elevated directly above the other end 74. When a golf'ball 12 has been removed from the tee means 14 and the switch 61 indicates that there are additional plays allowed, the tee-up means is activated to position another golf ball on the tee means 14. The tee-up means is pivoted from its first to its second position under the operation of the linkages 92-94 driven from the motor 28. The link 92 is pivotally connected to the links 93 and 94 at pivot point 96 and is connected to the tee-up means at the hinge area 98. As the link 94 rotates in a clockwise direction through the arm 100, the link 92 acting through the hinge 102 pivots the tee-up means about shaft 104. This causes the tee-up means 18 to move counterclockwise in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 2 from the first position to the second position. When the tee-up means 18 has returned to its first position, after positioning a golf ball 12 on the tee means 14, the latching member 90 removes the arm 88 from the lever 80 allowing the lever to be pivoted about the fulcrum 82 in a counterclockwise direction opening switch 84 thereby removing the power from the motor 28.

When the golf ball 12 is removed from the tee means 14, such as under control of a golf club 24, the flight of the golf ball is arrested by the receiver means 22. In the preferred embodiment, the receiver means is a vertically extending displaceable net member 106 which absorbs the impact of the golf ball 12 causing the golf ball to roll down the net member to the receiving area 108. The receiving are 108 functions to deliver the golf ball 12 by a plurality of ball returm troughs 110 to a central ball return areall2 of the control center 20.

Positioned along the ball return tube 113 and operatively connected to the count indicator area 54 is a endof-play gate 114. This gate is operatively connected by the arms 1 l6 and 118 to a pivot point 120. Operatively connected to the pivot point 120, is a sense am 122 that is responsive to an actuator 124 on the lower surface of the wheel positioning beam 60. As illustrated in FIG. 7, this actuator 124 is positioned along the beam 60 and is in operative contact with the sense arm 122 when the count on the wheel 54 is two or less. When the sense arm 122 contacts the actuator, the end-ofplay gate is pivoted in a clockwise direction with reference to FIG. 7. This directs the golf ball 12, FIG. 6, to the ball return tube 128 and back to the player. The normal position of the gate 114 is in a raised position allowing the golf ball to be returned down the tube 113 to the ball stop 70.

As previously indicated in the preferred embodiment, the player supplies two golf balls when he initiates play of the machine. These two golf balls are entered into the machine in the ball feed receiving tube 62 and are returned to the player by means of the ball return tube 128. Referring to FIG. 7, the position of the mechanisms for returning the golf balls to the player on the penultimate and the ultimate counts is illustrated. When the penultimate golf ball has been positioned on the tee means 14, the count indicator wheel 52 is positioned with a count of two. The sensing arm 122 has been pivoted in a clockwise position and functioning through the arms 116 and 118 pivots the end-of-play gate 114 into the ball return trough 113. When the penultimate golf ball has been removed from the tee 14, it is returned to the player by being deflected from the ball return tube '113 to the ball return tube 128 by the gate 114. The wheel 54 is positioned at count one and the ultimate ball is placed on the tee. In a similar meannet, the ultimate ball is returned'to the player and the count wheel is positioned at a count of zero indicating end of play. I

Each time the tee-up 'means 18 is pivoted from its first to its second positions, the counter slide is decremented one count. This decremation is a function of the machine count mechanism 130, FIG. 3, which is operatively coupled to arm 100. The counter slide 52 is essentially a ratchet mechanism and the machine count mechanism 130 is essentially a pawl mechanism. As the arm 100 makes one complete revolution, the pawl 132 moves the counter slide 52 one position to the right as referred to in FIG. 3. Thus, each pivotal movement of the tee-up means 18 will be registered on the count indicator wheel 54.

When the counter slide 52 and likewise the count indication wheel 54 is at a position other than zero, the arm 134 is biased in a position preventing the insertion of any additional coins into the coin receiving means 30. When the counter slide 52 is positioned so that a count of zero is indicated on the wheel 54, the arm 134 is pivoted to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 allowing additional coins to be inserted into the coin receiving means.

The coin receiving means 30 illustrated in the preferred embodiment is but one form of coin receiving means which may be used in the golf practicing machine. The function of the coin receiving means is to sense the size of coin being received and from that size determine or position the total number of plays to be allowed the operator by the machine.

There has thus been described a golf practicing machine having automatic tee-up means for positioning a golf ball upon a tee. The golf ball is driven-into a receiver or net and is returned to the control center to be repositioned on the tee. The control center controls the number of plays of a golf ball according to a predetermined count which is an indication of the size of coin placed into the machine. The machine, as described herein, may be positioned indoors or outdoors as the amount of floor space or area required is minimal. In the mode of operation as described herein the player supplies two golf balls to be used by the machine. How ever, with modifications instead of the penultimate golf ball being returned to the player, the ball may be retained within the control center to be used by the next player. In such an operation the player would not have to supply his own golf balls.

What is claimed is l. A golf driving practicing machine utilizing only two golf balls for any number of selected plays, sai machine comprising: Y

a rectangular horizontal support member,

a players platform on a portion of said support member, said platform having a covering thereon upon which a player positions himself when addressing a golf ball,

a golf ball receiving net means positioned along one periphery of said support means opposite said players platform, said net extending in a vertical plane substantially orthogonal to said support means,

a golf ball tee extending out of said players platform for supporting a golf ball thereon in position to be addressed by a player, said tee displaceable between a first position supporting a golf ball and a second position after said ball is driven therefrom,

a golf ball storage area,

a pivotally supported golf ball tee-up arm operatively responsive in a normal position to the second posi-' tion of said golf ball tee for removing a golf ball from said storage area and for-positioning said removed golf ball on said tee in a pivotal position and returning to said normal position,

coin receiving means for receiving one of a plurality of coin denominations,

a counter responsive to said coin receiving means'for initially setting apredetermined count therein as determined bythe received coin, operable to control the number'of operations of said tee-up arm, and to decrement the count by one each operation of said tee-up arm, and

control means including a class A lever, a normally open switch operable by said lever and a latching mechanism responsive to said counter for controlling the operation of said tee-up arm whenever said golf ball tee is in said second position and further including an end of play gate and ball return responsive to the penultimate count of said counter for discharging one of the two golf balls to the player after the one ball is removed from said tee and received by said net and responsive to the ultimate count for discharging the other of the two golf balls to the player after the other ball is removed driven golf ball and ball return trough positioned orthogonal to and at the lower periphery of said member for collecting the received golf ball from said net member and delivering the received golf ball to said golf ball 

1. A golf driving practicing machine utilizing only two golf balls for any number of selected plays, saiD machine comprising: a rectangular horizontal support member, a player''s platform on a portion of said support member, said platform having a covering thereon upon which a player positions himself when addressing a golf ball, a golf ball receiving net means positioned along one periphery of said support means opposite said player''s platform, said net extending in a vertical plane substantially orthogonal to said support means, a golf ball tee extending out of said player''s platform for supporting a golf ball thereon in position to be addressed by a player, said tee displaceable between a first position supporting a golf ball and a second position after said ball is driven therefrom, a golf ball storage area, a pivotally supported golf ball tee-up arm operatively responsive in a normal position to the second position of said golf ball tee for removing a golf ball from said storage area and for positioning said removed golf ball on said tee in a pivotal position and returning to said normal position, coin receiving means for receiving one of a plurality of coin denominations, a counter responsive to said coin receiving means for initially setting apredetermined count therein as determined by the received coin, operable to control the number of operations of said tee-up arm, and to decrement the count by one each operation of said tee-up arm, and control means including a class A lever, a normally open switch operable by said lever and a latching mechanism responsive to said counter for controlling the operation of said tee-up arm whenever said golf ball tee is in said second position and further including an end of play gate and ball return responsive to the penultimate count of said counter for discharging one of the two golf balls to the player after the one ball is removed from said tee and received by said net and responsive to the ultimate count for discharging the other of the two golf balls to the player after the other ball is removed from said tee and received by said net for terminating the operation of the golf driving machine until the counter is reset.
 2. The golf driving practicing machine according to claim 1 wherein said golf ball receiving net means comprises a displaceable net member for receiving the driven golf ball and ball return trough positioned orthogonal to and at the lower periphery of said member for collecting the received golf ball from said net member and delivering the received golf ball to said golf ball storage area. 